This page allows you to assemble and customize a new report.
Creating a new report
New reports can be added just by copying and customizing sections from other reports. (It is only in exceptional circumstances that an advanced user might choose to author whole new report Templates.) To create a new report, click the New Report button. You will be prompted to select a category for the report, and to enter a title and brief description. Click Submit to create the report. You will be returned to the previous screen with the new report selected. It is now ready to be edited.
Editing a report
First make sure the report you want to edit is selected. You will then be offered the following options:
- Delete Report. Click to delete this report from the system.
- Edit Heading. Click to change the report category, title or description.
- New Section. Click to add a new section to the report (see below).
- Edit Schedule. Click to schedule the report for periodic execution, so that results can be viewed under the View page, and sent via email.
Adding a new report section - method 1
In assembling your new report you can copy and reuse any report section from any other report. Click the New Section button, then find the section you want by drilling down from category to report to section, then click Edit. Note that changes made here will only affect the report that you are editing. If another copy of the same section appears in another report, it will not be affected.
Adding a new report section - method 2
Alternatively, you can also add sections to the report you are currently editing by finding that report section on the Report>Run page (perhaps using the Search>Report options to find it by keyword search). This way you can customize the report section and run it immediately to make sure the settings are correct. When you have the right settings you can use the Copy To Editor button to copy that section into the report you are editing. This Copy To Editor button will only be available if a report was first selected on this Edit page.
Reordering report sections within a report
When you have several report section in a report, you may want to change the order in which they appear. To move a section up or down the list, change the Order option for that section and set it to the position you want it to occupy, then click Reorder Sections.
Editing a report section
Some report sections require no customization, so you will not see any options when you click to edit them, except to set the name and description. Other sections will offer you a range of fields that you can fill in to focus the section at a particular part of your network, a particular protocol, a particular set of hosts, and so on. Some protocol sections will generate one chart or one table, while others may generate a whole set of charts and tables.
For details on editing particular fields, see: customizing options.